Apparatus for making leather-covered cushioned-seats for chairs.



A. ROTHBERG. APPARATUS FOR MAKING LEATHER COVERED nusmomn SEAT S FOR CHAIRS.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 25, 1909. ,(H I w Patented May 17, 1910.

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APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 25, 1909.

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APPARATUS FOB. MAKING LEATHER COVERED GUSHIONED SEATS FOR CHAIRS.

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AIME ROTHBERG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR I/IAKING LEATHER-COVERED CUSHIONED SEATS FOE CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1'7, 1910.

Application filed June 25, 1909. Serial No. 504,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AIME ROTHBERG, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Leather- Covered Cushioned Seats for Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for making leather covered cushioned seats for chairs, the object of the invention being to provide an improved apparatus, which may be manipulated to tightly press a leather cover and a padding of cushioning material against the face of a wooden bottom, and hold the leather taut, while the edges are secured to the bottom of the wooden bottom by tacks or other similar devices.

I-leretofore in the manufacture of leather cushioned seats, it has been the uniform practice to stretch the leather over the cushion by hand, using pincers. to hold the leather. This has been a rather slow, and more or less unsatisfactory process, and to cheapen the manufacture and increase the output, my invention was devised, and will now be described in detail.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a view in front elevation illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2, is a View partly in elevation and partly in section showing the parts in operative position. Fig. 3, is a top plan view. Fig. 4, is a plan view of the clamping frame with the top member removed, and Fig. 5, is a view in side elevation of Fig. 4, showing in dotted lines the position of the several parts.

1 represents a table or base, to which an upright 2 is secured, and 3 is a heavy bracket connected by hinges 4 with the upper portion of upright 2, and provides a threaded opening for a screw plunger 5.

A hand wheel 6 is secured u on the upper end of plunger 5, and a block is connected to the lower end of the plunger 5 by means of a sleeve 8 having screws 9 therein, said screws projecting into an annular groove 10 in the lower end of the plunger to afiord a swiveled connection between block 7 and the plunger.

At the center of the top of table or base 1, a vertical journal pin 11 is secured and is adapted to enter a socket 12 in the ower face of my improved clamp-device, comprising a lower or body member 13, and an upper member 14, both of general rectangular form.

15 represents an open frame having a beveled inner face, and positioned in the body member 13, and supported upon springs 16, elastically holding the frame 15 adjacent the upper edge of the body member 13.

The upper edge of body member 13 is provided with grooves 17, all around its four sides to receive tongues 18 on upper member 14, and tightly clamping the leather 19 against movement. This lower member 13 at its corners is cut out as shown at 20, and in each corner a sharp pin 21 is located to puncture the leather, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: The leather 19 is positioned across the upper edge of member 13 and frame 15, and the upper member 14 is placed over the frame 13. Clamping bolts 22 pivotally connected to the sides of lower member 13, are swung up into recess portions 23 of the upper member 14, and are securely clamped by thumb nuts 24, it being understood that in positioning the leather on member 13, it is forced over the pins 21. Padding or cushioning material 25 is then placed upon the leather 19, and the wooden bottom 26 positioned on the padding 25, hand wheel 6 is then turned to bring block 7 into contact with the Wooden bottom 26, and a continued downward movement of the plunger will tightly compress the cushioning material 25, and draw the leather taut, the frame 15 descending against the action of springs 16 during this compressing and stretching operation. The next step in the method is to throw off the clamping bolts 22, and place upper member 14 on top of the hand wheel or bracket 3 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the edges of the leather can be folded over against the face of bottom 26, and secured by tacks, while the cushion is still held taut. After the leather has been tacked all around the seat bottom, it can be readily removed as will be understood, and the parts placed in position for a new operation. It is to be understood that a number of these clamping frames may be in use, so

that while one set of workmen are positioning the leather cushioning material and seat bottom in the clamps, another workman may be operating the apparatus to compress and then tack the leather, so that the operation may be carried out by a number of workmen, and the output be Very much increased.

A great many slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangements of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a base, an upwardly projecting journal on said base, a clamping frame pivotally supported on said journal, said clamping frame comprising two members clamping a sheet of flexible material between them, a chair bottom over said flexible material, and a plunger adapted to press said chair bottom and flexible material downwardly in the clamping frame.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting base, an upright secured to the base, a bracket hinged to the upright, a screw threaded plunger in said bracket, a hand wheel at the upper end of said plunger, a block at the lower end of of said plunger, and a removable clamping frame on said base.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting base, an upright secured to the base, a bracket hinged to the upright, a screw threaded plunger in said bracket, a hand wheel at the upper end of said plunger, a block at the lower end of said plunger, a removable clamping frame on said base, said clamping frame comprising two members adapted to clamp a sheet of flexible material between them, a movable frame in the lower member of said clamping frame, and springs exerting upward pressure on said frame.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a supporting base, an upright on the base, a bracket on the upright, and a vertically movable plunger in said bracket, of a clamping frame having rotary mounting on said base, and comprising two members, one member having grooves, and the other a tongue adapted to clamp a leather sheet between them, pins on the lower member adapted to puncture said leather sheet, a vertically movable beveled frame in the lower member below the leather sheet, springs in the lower member exerting upward pressure on said frame, cushioning material on said leather sheet, a chair bottom on said cushioning material, and a block on the lower end of said plunger exerting downward pressure on said chair bottom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AIME ROTHBERG.

Vitnesses ISRAEL IVIANES, J. A. L. MULHALL. 

